2019 Meetings

2019 Meetings

As this will be the final year for recording taxon towards the 2020 Atlas an emphasis will be placed on sites that are under-recorded.

16th November 2019 - “RECORDING NATURE IN SORBYSHIRE” – The 2 Million Records Symposium.

All members, friends and members of local organisations are invited to a celebration of nature recording at Treeton Miners Welfare.

Derek Whiteley will get things going with a talk and discussion covering a history of biological recording by the Sorby Natural History Society, sharing records with national and county recording schemes, sharing records with LBRCs and the basics of iRecord and NBN Atlas for the confused. How the Sorby fits into the big picture.

There will be presentations and poster displays from the Society’s Recorders and Recording Scheme Organisers. Provisional speaker list includes Roger Butterfield (Vascular Plants), Steve Price (Lichens), Harold Smith (Birds), Alistair McLean (Dragonflies), Derek Whiteley (Hoverflies), Jane Hewitt (Moths), Stuart Crofts (Riverflies), and Sorby Fungus Group.

Find out more about our Recording Schemes and meet some of the Recorders and other field naturalists in a relaxed friendly atmosphere. (More details next month - mark your diary NOW!)

There will be a bar, refreshments and a cake to celebrate 2 million records on the Society’s 23 databases. There will be plenty of time to socialise, discuss, network and party.

10th September - Tuesday - Huddersfield Area - Botanical Recording Visit

To do some recording in an under-recorded area around the eastern side of Huddersfield.

Meet at Charlotte's Jersey Icecream parlour www.charlottesjerseyicecream.co.uk at 10.30am so that we can agree our route over quick cup of tea.
http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=421722&Y=417636&A=Y&Z=115

There are some lanes and footpaths from the ice cream place or around Whitley Lower (from the church) and a few other areas we could have a look at - I quite like the idea of visiting Black Dick's Tower
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/25154

Leaders : Louise Hill and Kay Woodward

One option would be to cross through Whitley Park (about 2km walk from Black Dick's Tower - positioning a car at the far end near Lepton and walking on the footpaths one way (down hill). That takes in two tetrads - one with 16 species and one with only 1. A continuation to create a circular route is also possible.

8th September - Sunday - Bioblitz at Cannon Hall

Cannon Hall is hosting a Bioblitz day running from 8am to 8pm in association with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

http://www.cannon-hall.com/bioblitz
"Help us find and record species found at Cannon Hall and join in this brilliant Bioblitz day! Look out nearer the time for details about the suite of events on offer throughout the day."

31st August , Saturday - Hills & Holes, Marr

A meeting has been arranged to visit a limestone grassland site in Marr, NW of Doncaster on Saturday, 31st August 2019. The site has Autumn Lady’s Tresses and they should still be in flower.

Meet at 10am in the pub car park off the A635
http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=451214&Y=405217&A=Y&Z=115

The survey should only take up the morning, so there will be an option to visit the pub for lunch. Anyone likely to attend please inform Louise by Friday evening.

21 August, Wednesday - Black Moss Reservoir Area

Leader - Kay Woodward
Meet 10.30am at car park on the A62 very near to Brun Clough Reservoir (grid ref SE 017095)
The car park is well signposted.

The plan would be to walk some of the way along the Pennine Way to Black Moss Reservoir and then north up the Kirklees Way past Blakesley Reservoir and then back along Standedge Trail

10 August, Saturday - Leven Canal, East Yorkshire

This will be a joint meeting between Bradford Botany Group and SYBG
Leaders : Kay McDowell and John Scott
Meet at 10.30am near the bridge off Sandholme Lane post code HU17 5LW

A SSSI, the canal runs from the River Hull to the village of Leven
We hope to find Calamagrostis x gracilescens, a hybrid between C. canescens and C. stricta. Plus greater bladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris) and spiked water milfoil (Myriopyllum spicatum) are the specialties here.
We hope to meet up with a member of the BBG who has recently moved to the area.
Easy walking along the canal path.

Directions
From the A1035 turn left at the roundabout onto Beverley Road, which becomes South Street, then turn left onto West Street and left again onto Carr Lane, this turns into Sandholme Lane.

Park near the bridge at TA01451.

Details of the site can be found at
https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1003148.pdf .

31 July, Wednesday - Chew Reservoir Area

Leader - Kay Woodward
Meet 10.30am at Dovestone Reservoir RSPB car park SE013034
The car park is well signposted from the A635 Holmfirth road.

The walk will follow the track from Dovestone reservoir to Chew Reservoir
We shall hope to re-find the Labrador Tea, subject to negotiating the colony of feral Canada Geese nesting in the area.

Meeting cancelled due to recent heavy rains and Wednesdays forecast is for more to come.
To be re-arranged for Wednesday, 7th August

21st July, Sunday - Meadowhall to Parkgate along the Trans-Pennine Trail

Leader - Ken Balkow
Meet at 10am at Meadowhall South tram stop

The trail is a level tarmac surface following the mainly canalised section of the river.
A good selection of aquatic and ruderal species is to be expected, including perhaps Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) and Narrow-leaved Water-plantain (Alisma lanceolata), both being recorded here by Ray Goulder in 2014.
We shall return to the starting point by tram-train, which operates 3 services an hour from Parkgate (over-60s bus passes valid on this route).
If progress is slow we may end the walk at Rotherham instead.

10 July, Wednesday - Dick Clough

Leader - Mike Canaway
Meet 10.30am - Binn Green car park below Alderman Brow on the A635 (SE018046).

The topography of the clough is that of a small, steepish, wideish upland peat/gritstone valley with tinkling stream, with mixed woodland but dominated in the upper reaches by Hawthorn.

Above that is a small damp meadow which isn't as sheep grazed as lower down and still has some interesting remnant plants.

The stream itself is in a dark ravine in places, but accessible. It might also be worthwhile (if time permits) to explore a little outside the clough walls but it is a largely sheep grazed upland meadow.

We will be hoping to re-find the following plants
Bistort (Persicaria bistorta), Pignut (Conopodium majus), Marsh Violet (Viola palustris), Heath Speedwell (Veronica officinalis), Betony (Stachys officinalis), Bog Stitchwort (Stellaria uliginosa), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica) and possibly Heath Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia) and Marsh Pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris).

Old records exist of Autumn Gentian (Gentianella amarella), Autumn Crocus (Crocus nudiflorus) and Moonwort (Botrychium lunaria), but these have not been recorded for many years.

6th July, Saturday - Geoffrey Wllmore Memorial Recording Day : Elscar, South Yorkshire

Leader - Louise Hill
This will be a joint meeting with the Bradford Botany Group
Meet 10.30am in the Heriatage Centre public car park (free) off Wentwoth Road, post code S74 8HJ (SK384 997).
Directions : From the M1 junction 36, taking the A6135 for approx. 2km, then left along Broadcarr Road, right into Armroyd Lane and follow signs to the centre, which has toilets and cafe.

We shall visit a wide range of habitats, including reservoir, streams, grassland, scrub and woodland, plus some urban and park areas. There should be a good variety of summer flowers, including meadow vetchling, trifid bur-marigold, red bartsia, plicate sweet-grass, great horsetail and much more besides.
We hope to add more records to the 1km square, SK39.
The walk will be circular, approx 5km, generally on well made paths.

19 June, Wednesday - Tanners Dam, Greenfield

Leader - Mike Canaway
Meet 10.30am
Directions
Coming on the A635 from Yorks you’ll pass Binn Green and Dove Stone then on approach to the roundabout at Greenfield you’ll see a large sign on the left for Tanners Business Centre. Take a sharp left here and cross the river bridge. Turn immediately left after the bridge and follow the road round until you see the sign for 3M Training. Go into the car park there. The dam is to the left. You’ll see a tall wind turbine minus blades If you make an error earlier look for this and head for it. Coming from Saddleworth direction reach the A635 roundabout and make a right and the rest follows.

Some nice walks around here.
Hoping to find Common Club-rush (Schoeroplectus lacustis) and Flowering-rush (Butomus umbellatus) and some interesting Sedges.

Taxon List

15 May, Wednesday - Ramsden Clough, Holmbridge

Leader - Mike Canaway & Peter Burton
Parking - Yateholme Car Park between Brownhill Reservoir and Ramsden Reservoir
Meet 10.30am

To survey upland habitats, moorland flushes, old quarry workings, woodland and around reservoirs

8 May, Wednesday - Holme Valley

Leader - Kay Woodward and Louise Hill
Meet : 10.30am at Holme Styes Reservoir
Parking is by the roadside on the corner of Greave Road (SE142056).

The reservoir edges are accessible and the woodland to the SW (Holme Styes Wood) has large areas of commercial forestry plantation but many surviving remnants of more natural woodland and damp cloughs etc.- all accessible. It has good potential for a productive botany day.

23rd February - 10th South Yorkshire Natural History Day

The event will be held at Treeton Miners Welfare Club, Arundel Street, Treeton, Rotherham S60 5PW in the Heart of South Yorkshire. 
http://www.sorby.org.uk/the-10th-south-yorkshire-natural-history-day/

The event is an annual festival, get-together and symposium of amateur natural history societies in South Yorkshire with speakers and displays from the local and county groups.

An opportunity to meet and chat with other naturalists over a drink, and hear presentations by societies and groups on aspects of their work, including a presentation by Roseanna from the DVLP team. There will be a bar and cafe. In between the talks there will be plenty of time for discussion and chat and looking at displays and book sales.

Louise will be presenting "The work of the Burnet Trust, who manage several wildflower meadows in North Doncaster" at 12.30pm.

A new book by Ray Goulder, "Canals, Plants and People: a Yorkshire Perspective" will be on sale. Price £10.50

The programme of event begins at 10.30am and finishes at 3.30pm

15th February, Friday - Winter Botanical Walk along the Sheffield Canal

We are invited to join a Sorby Natural History Society group outing.

Leader - Ken Balkow.
Meet at Attercliffe tram stop (SK379885) on Chippingham Street at 10.15am. Yellow route tram leaves Cathedral at 9.52 or 10.04. If you come by car it should be possible to find parking nearby.

We shall walk along the towpath (which may be muddy in places) to Meadowhall then return by tram to the starting point or city centre. I expect to reach Meadowhall by 12-12.30, so this is a morning-only walk.

There will not be much in flower except maybe Helleborus foetidus, but we should be able to observe winter trees and other woody plants such as Spindle, Wayfaring-tree, Traveller's-joy and Dogwood. It should also be possible to see Hard and Soft Shieldfern, both of which are winter-green.

In case of adverse weather please contact the leader on (0114) 2666750 to check that it is still taking place.

2nd January - New Year Plant Hunt

The Old Mineral Line, Dinnington to Thurcroft
Leader : Les Coe
Meet 10am  on Bookers Way off Todwick Road (B6463), Dinnington.
Parking on Bookers Way. (SK508863)

The Old Mineral Line is a disused railway that served Thurcroft Pit but is now a public right of way, approximately 2 km long and having a tarmacked surface, thus suitable for disabled persons. There are no facilities at the start, finish or along the route.

About one in eight of all the British and Irish species are flowering in early January. At a very good site, in either a rural or urban area, you might find more than 50 different flowers in a three hour search on foot, but more typical would be between 10 and 30, with six to 10 being quite conspicuous.

The observations are helping BSBI build up a clearer picture of how our wild or naturalised plants are responding to changes in winter weather patterns across Britain & Ireland.

https://bsbi.org/new-year-plant-hunt

See how the NYPH is progressing around the country

https://bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/